Joint Review – Fortune’s Pawn (Paradox #1) by Rachel Bach

Publisher: Orbit
Publish Date: Out now
How we got this book: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Devi Morris isn’t your average mercenary. She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It’s a combination that’s going to get her killed one day – but not just yet.

That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn’t misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she’s found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn’t give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.
This blurb came from the author’s website.

E: It has been a while since I read a book that was much heavier on science fiction than romance so when I saw the cover and blurb of Fortune’s Pawn I had to request it and I am very glad that I did. The last time I felt this way about a book was when I read Ghost Planet which I absolutely loved. I didn’t love this one in exactly the same way, which is probably good since the authors are two different people with different writing styles, but I am eagerly waiting the next installment. Bach provided some of my early reading loves with space travel, aliens, fighting, new or at least different planets, intrigue, and some very fascinating characters. She also teased us with a forbidden romance that hasn’t reached its conclusion yet.

Has: I felt the same way about this book. I loved the Sci Fi setting and thought the premise with a mercenary heroine who has a body armour and likes to name her weapons was engaging and colourful. The world-building was interesting and imaginative and I loved Bach’s descriptions of the exotic aliens in the crew and those they encountered. I also found the Sci Fi tech to be interesting and it added a vivid dynamic to the plot. Although I did find Devi’s character didn’t differentiate from other characters in similar roles, I did enjoy her voice and how she handled the mission she embarked upon. And I also loved the cast of characters and thought the crew of The Glorious Fool were vibrant and diverse. Within the first chapters, I was totally drawn into the story.

E: I agree with you Has, she shared a lot of similarities with other mercenaries but she had some personal touches that set her apart. I liked that she spent money on her equipment and having the best she could without going for the flashy. I also liked that she had goals and knew how to read people but would also sometimes rush in when she knew that she shouldn’t. She was also dedicated to her profession and once paid she stayed loyal. She was also extremely smart and curious which was a benefit but also a drawback. I was just as curious to find out the story behind The Glorious Fool and its motley crew as Devi. While some questions were answered those answers have left me with more questions because things are not as they seem with the ship, the crew or the locations they visit.

Has: I really liked that because the mysteries and secrets kept me guessing throughout the book, and I was very intrigued about how it all tied in with the crew and the aliens they encountered. Bach also had a great flow in making the story action-packed and tense. I was really impressed in how she described the action sequences which were exciting and memorable and they added a fun flourish to Devi’s character.

I also loved the supporting casts of characters who were so unexepectedly different which I found refreshing. I especially loved the alien crew members like the lizard Hyrek who was their medical officer but was a member of a dangerous race who liked to munch on humans. Basil the avian bird-like navigator provided some humour with his exchanges with the other crew members. But I really loved the romance which subtly grows throughout the book and takes Devi by surprise. The chemistry between her and Rupert who had secrets of his own was just fabulous and I really enjoyed their scenes together even though it developed a forbidden element in the end which really heightened the romantic tension.

E: Oh the attraction and forbidden romance were certainly entertaining. I have to admit that a few times I really wanted to see Devi give it to Rupert to make up for his role in several things that were emotionally distressing. Hyrek was also something else. His role amongst his people and his obvious role on the ship seemed contradictory to accepted knowledge about his species. Really makes me wonder how he ended up on the crew along with the others. I also thought the new things Devi started noticing and what Hyrek noticed was different about her are going to have some significant effects later on. Something I think will come back to haunt the Captain given how things ended with this installment.

Fortune’s Pawn has proved to be a very interesting and entertaining start to a series that I plan to thoroughly enjoy. Bach threw in some twists at the end that are going to make things sticky and will hopefully result in much groveling and the revealing of several mysteries. I am glad I decided to give it a try.
I give Fortune’s Pawn a B.

Has: I definitely agree about the mysteries and secrets that slowly evolve and link with the crew. I am also interested to see the repercussions that Devi may have with her encounter on the alien ghost ship, which I have to say was one of my favourite scenes of the book. But I really like how Bach sets up the ongoing plot mystery which is a fantastic layer to the overall story arc. I love a good book that keeps me guessing and wondering what will happen next and while I have some ideas and theories – I suspect I will be surprised by the outcomes.

I am so glad that I picked up this book on a whim because it was intriguing, exciting and had a wonderful cast of vibrant characters in a rich and imaginative world. I think this is a book which can appeal to a broad base of readers because it has a bit of everything from heart-pounding action scenes, a unique world and a good romance. Fortune’s Pawn is a great start to memorable series!

I give Fortune’s Pawn a B

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About E_booklover

E is addicted to books. She discovered at an early age that not only were they her transport to far off worlds, adventures, and exotic cultures, but that she ran into far fewer objects if she walked while reading then if she wasn't reading. She reads across several genres, such as: romance, western,mystery, SF/F and its derivatives. She isn't too picky except for good characterization, settings she can imagine, and a story that flows logically... umm so ok -- she wants a good story. Have any to recommend?

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